I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of positioning devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus to aid in positioning and hanging pictures or similar wall hanging objects.
II. Description of the Related Art
Although a simple task, hanging framed pictures or other similar objects can be tedious and time consuming. One well known approach is to drive a nail or hanger into a wall and suspend the object by the frame from the nail or hanger. Unfortunately, a single suspension point allows the picture to easily shift to a non-level position at the slightest vibration. Such shifting can be reduced by suspending the picture from two or more hangers mounted to the wall. Typically with this approach, a wire is stretched between two mounts, such as screw eyes, which are mounted to either side of the frame, and then placed onto the hangers. However, this approach can involve a number of measurements to determine the appropriate placement of the hangers onto the wall, particularly with respect to the top center of the frame. The problem is exacerbated when there are many pictures being hung, especially when it is desired for the tops of the frames to have the same height from a floor. Of course, the trial and error method can be utilized, but this method can have the drawback of multiple needless holes being placed into the wall which require repair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,510 issued to Radecki describes an aid for hanging pictures having the shape of an inverted tee. This device has a base of oppositely extending, aligned arms and a neck perpendicular to the base. Each arm carries a slide member upon which the wire can be fitted. The slide members, which serve as hanger locators, are moved along the arms to predetermined points so that the hanging wire will not extend above the top of the frame when the picture is hung. The neck of the hanging aid is used to mark the top of the picture. However, the neck is non-telescoping and the user must rely on recording or remembering measurements as indicated by the neck. Further, each slide member is individually adjusted. The hanging aid also has vertical and horizontal leveling devices.
Levy in U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,574 describes a measuring tool for hanging up pictures and the like. The measuring tool has a box-shaped housing that has vertical and horizontal leveling devices. A tape measure is built into the housing and has a L-shaped hook end with an inverted V-notch. An arm is hinge-mounted to the housing. The arm has a second V-notch. Clearly, this device is a measuring device to estimate the location of hangers. It cannot support the weight of the picture and frame and it cannot determine the top center location of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,573 issued to Ehling et al. describes a picture hanging device having an elongated ruler-like body. At the center of the body is a center notch and a horizontal leveling device. A rod extends across the body to frictionally engage conventional picture hooks and predetermined locations. As with Levy, this device cannot support the weight of the picture and frame and it cannot determine the top center location of the frame